Historic downtown Phoenix hotel demolished despite rescue efforts
The St. James Hotel, located across from the Footprint Center in downtown Phoenix, was built in 1928. It was intended for travelers using the nearby train at a time when trains are arriving in the heart of Phoenix. FOX 10’s Bailey Miller reports.
PHOENIX – The historic St. James Hotel in downtown Phoenix was demolished to allow the Phoenix Suns to build a new VIP parking lot despite the efforts of historians and Phoenix natives.
The hotel is across from the Footprint Center (formerly Phoenix Suns Arena) and was built in 1928. It was intended for travelers using the nearby train at a time when trains are arriving in the heart of Phoenix.
The hotel went out of business in the 1980s and then stood empty for decades. Historians and natives of Phoenix fought in vain to save the building and repurpose it to preserve the history of Phoenix.
St. James Hotel, before demolition (Courtesy: Danny Upshaw)
“The reality is, the more of this type of building goes down, the fewer opportunities we have for civic memory and we can connect with our history when it’s so close to downtown,” said Phoenix historian Steve Schumacher. “My fellow historians always feel that something can be done with the remains and just tear them down and collect the bricks. There is a middle ground. “
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